The goal of the Ethiopia Urban Health Extension Program (USAID|UHEP) was to support, at scale, the implementation and monitoring of the Government of Ethiopia’s Urban Health Extension Program (UHEP) as a means of improving access to and demand for health services. More specifically, the program aimed to strengthen the capacity of UHE professionals to identify and reach vulnerable individuals or groups in their catchment areas and to provide these individuals with public health services that improve their overall health outcomes, including HIV prevention, care and support services.

USAID|UHEP supported Ethiopia’s Urban Health Extension Program implementation activities in five regions and two city administrations, covering 19 cities/towns.

USAID|UHEP’s work included training/supporting UHE professionals on all aspects of their work, from how to conduct risk assessments and implement home-based HIV counseling and testing, to how to mobilize the community in support of the UHEP and conduct supportive supervision and quality improvement initiatives. JSI also provided technical and financial support for pre-service and refresher training of UHE professionals and their supervisors; helped develop and support various UHEP monitoring tools, guides and protocols; supported media workshops to increase public awareness about the UHEP; and strengthened the referral system to promote bi-directional referrals between the community and the facility.

Through USAID|UHEP, JSI also managed the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) Supplementary Activity, which aimed to mentor and coach FMoH staff through on-the-job enhancement of skills and capacity building to more effectively manage programs. From 2010 to 2011, JSI also carried out the Accelerated Health Officer Training Program (AHOTP) in order to fill the gap between the required number of health professionals to serve the country. This activity helped carry out the last year of the Carter Center’s Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative (EPHTI), which had been implementing AHOTP since 2005.